International News
US worried by Pak’s path as nations entering into deals with China ‘don’t end up well’

The US doesnt ask Pakis�tan to choose between it and China, but rather wants cou�ntries “to be able to have a choice”, the media reported.
However, Washington is worried that nations entering into relationships with China “are not going to end up well”, Dawn news quoted Derek Chollet, a senior adviser to the US Secretary of State, as saying.
In an interview with Dawn, Chollet said Washing�ton was not “afraid of competing with China, but would like to have a fair competition”.
He stressed that the US had honest differences with both India and Pakistan, but wanted to maintain and diversify its strong relationship with Islamabad, Dawn reported.
Chollet also spoke about former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations of US involvement in toppling his government, pointing out that those claims were completely baseless.
Asked if the US was upset with Khan and those allegations make him a less liked politician in the US, Chollet told Dawn news: “All I can say is that there is nothing to the allegations. Those were not true.
“What we want to stay focused on is where we are going in the US-Pakistan relationship, to reflect on all that we have achieved in 75 years but also all that we must achieve in the coming 75 years.”
The US official also underlined Washington’s concerns about the current floods in Pakistan, pointing out that President Joe Biden’s administration had already announced a $30 million in assistance and was willing to do more.
Business
PM Modi meets Keir Starmer in Mumbai for strengthening India-UK ties

Mumbai, Oct 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed UK Prime Minister Keri Starmer at Raj Bhavan and held a meeting as part of the process to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs shared photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Together for stronger India-UK ties…,” posted Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson, on X.
Earlier, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer here further deepened trade and economic partnership for mutual prosperity between the two nations.
Starmer arrived in India for a two-day visit on Wednesday, accompanied by the biggest-ever trade delegation from the country to India.
“Delighted to call on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Discussed avenues to further deepen India-UK trade and economic partnership for mutual prosperity,” Goyal posted on X social media platform.
Goyal earlier met Peter Kyle, the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with a view to moving forward with the operationalisation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and doubling the bilateral trade by 2030.
“The meeting marked a significant step towards operationalising the India-UK CETA, with both Ministers agreeing to reposition the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to oversee its implementation and delivery,” according to the Commerce Ministry statement.
Both sides underlined their commitment to ensuring swift, coordinated, and results-oriented implementation of the Agreement, aimed at realising its full potential for businesses and consumers in both countries. The ministers reaffirmed their shared ambition to double bilateral trade by 2030, leveraging the complementarities between the two economies in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital trade, clean energy, and services.
Emphasising the transformative scope of CETA, they discussed ways to maximise its benefits through regulatory cooperation, addressing non-tariff barriers, and promoting supply chain integration. The highly productive Commerce Secretary and Director General-level meeting set the tone for the Ministerial meeting, which laid a strong foundation for a full day of engaging and forward-looking discussions.
Business
World Bank flags rising poverty levels in Pakistan

New Delhi, Oct 8: The World Bank has expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s economy as the country has failed to reduce poverty despite massive loans injected by the IMF.
The current model of growth has failed to ameliorate the conditions of the poor, and the headcount ratio (HCR) has surged to its highest level of 25.3 per cent in the last eight years, which is a 7 per cent increase in HCR since 2023, the World Bank report states.
Instead of concentrating on rural development to reduce poverty, the Pakistan government has been focused more on increasing defence expenditure.
The World Bank report titled “Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan’s Poverty, Equity and Resilience Assessment” released on September 23, mentions that even the country’s aspiring middle class (constituting 42.7 per cent of its population) is “struggling to achieve full economic security”.
Pakistan’s once-promising poverty reduction trajectory has come to a troubling halt, reversing years of hard-fought gains.
After dramatically reducing poverty from 64.3 per cent in 2001 to 21.9 per cent in 2018 — declining by 3 percentage points annually until 2015 before slowing to less than 1 percentage point per year — recent compounding shocks have pushed poverty rates back up to a projected 25.3 per cent by 2023-24, the report states.
The economic model that delivered early wins has reached its limits, with 14 per cent of the population in 2018 remaining vulnerable to falling back into poverty when faced with shocks.
Compounding crises — Covid-19, economic instability, devastating floods, and record-high inflation—have further exposed systemic weaknesses, leaving many in low-productivity activities and unable to cope with these challenges, the report points out.
Bold policy reforms are now essential to address structural imbalances, prevent sliding back into poverty during shocks, and tackle the persistent challenges in remote areas. In this context, this Poverty, Equity, and Resilience Assessment , the first since the early 2000s, looks at how poverty has evolved in Pakistan by combining traditional and non-traditional data, offering detailed analysis and strategic direction on the country’s efforts and challenges to reduce poverty and promote equity.
This comprehensive assessment aims to provide a roadmap for policymakers and stakeholders to address poverty and equity challenges in Pakistan effectively, the report added.
International News
Rahul Gandhi begins 4-nation South American visit

New Delhi, Sep 27: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a South American tour, during which he is scheduled to interact with political leaders, university students, and members of the business community across four nations.
The Congress media and publicity department, incharge, Pawan Khera, announced the development on Saturday but refrained from disclosing the names of the countries LoP Gandhi will be visiting.
In a post on X, Khera wrote, “Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a visit to South America. He is scheduled to engage with political leaders, university students, and members of the business community across four countries.”
According to the party, this marks LoP Gandhi’s first overseas visit in September and will deepen democratic, trade, and strategic ties, building on historical India–South America cooperation and Global South solidarity.
During his visit to Brazil and Colombia, LoP Gandhi is expected to interact with university students, hold meetings with presidents and senior leaders across multiple countries, strengthening democratic and strategic ties, the party said.
He is also expected to engage with business leaders to explore opportunities as India seeks to diversify trade and partnerships in the wake of US tariffs, it also said.
Earlier this month, he travelled to Malaysia, although the Congress had not issued an official statement regarding that trip. The visit sparked several questions and also drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP took a dig at his foreign trips and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a photograph of Gandhi, claiming that he was vacationing in Malaysia.
Taking to X, Malviya posted, “Rahul Gandhi has slipped away yet again — this time on a clandestine vacation in Langkawi, Malaysia. Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar’s politics was too much for the Congress ‘Yuvraj’, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is supposed to know about?”
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra12 months ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News12 months ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime12 months ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report